Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe has been taken into custody under charges filed under Sections 386 and 388 of the Penal Code, as well as Section 5(1) of the Public Property Act.
The arrest was carried out today (22) by the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) when Wickremesinghe arrived to provide a statement.
The investigation concerns allegations that during his tenure, Wickremesinghe used state funds to travel to London with his wife, Professor Maithree Wickremesinghe, to attend her graduation ceremony as a private visit. He had been summoned to provide a statement related to this inquiry.
Following his arrest, the former President was brought before the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court a short while ago.